1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pallet assembly.
2. Background Art
Pallets formed of molded plastic material have distinct advantages over those made of wood or metal. While wood pallets have sufficient stiffness, they are heavy; are subject to warpage, splintering and splitting; are nonuniform in strength; and gain significant weight when wet. Metallic pallets typically are expensive and, in the case of steel, heavy and subject to corrosion. Plastic pallets are stronger, lighter and more durable than wooden pallets. Heretofore, fire retardance as it relates to plastic pallets has not been recognized as an issue. However, recently, plastic pallets have been the subject of standards promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), Factory Mutual Research Company (FMRC), and National Association of Fire Marshals.
Some standards allow for plastic pallets to be used the same as wood pallets when experimental data show equivalency in the burning and suppression characteristics between the plastic and wood pallets. Unfortunately, some material presently used to help promote fire retardance in plastic pallets, such as an engineered resin blend of high-impact polystyrene and polyphenylene oxide, is very expensive and thus not cost efficient to mold an entire pallet from this material. Such material may also not be as injection-molding friendly as other polymeric materials.
Therefore, a pallet is desired which is accepted by the fire community as having burn and suppression properties substantially similar or better than wood, is relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to manufacture.
It is an object according to the present invention to provide a pallet which is desired which is accepted by the fire community as having burn properties equivalent to wood.
It is another object according to the present invention to provide a pallet which as the desired level of stiffness, is relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to manufacture.
It is another object according to the present invention to provide a multi-component pallet which allows for the freedom to allocate different materials among the various components to achieve desired properties and characteristics.
In accordance with the objects of the present invention, provided is a pallet assembly includes a top deck having a top deck upper surface and a top deck lower surface and also having a first predetermined fire retardancy. A bottom deck having a bottom deck upper surface and a bottom deck lower surface, and also having a second predetermined fire retardancy. A column extending between the top deck and bottom deck, the column having an other fire retardancy lower than at least one of the first and second fire retardancies.
In another embodiment, a pallet assembly includes a first deck member and a second deck member mounted to the first deck member, the second deck member having a first predetermined fire retardancy. A third deck member spaced from the second deck member and a fourth deck member mounted to the third deck member, the fourth deck member having a second predetermined fire retardancy. At least one column member extends between the second and third deck members, and having a third predetermined fire retardancy lower than that of the second and fourth decks. The third deck member may have a fire retardancy substantially equivalent to that of the at least one column member. Further, at least one elongated reinforcement member may extend within at least one of the top and bottom decks. Also, the top member and mid-top member may have mating ribbed surfaces which are attached to each other, and the bottom member and mid-bottom member have mating ribbed surfaces which are attached to each other.
In another embodiment, provided is a pallet assembly having a first deck member and a second deck member mounted to the first deck member, the second deck member having a predetermined fire retardancy. Also provided is a third deck member spaced from the second deck member and a fourth deck member mounted to the third deck member. It also includes at least one column member extending between the second and third deck members and attached thereto. The first deck member, third deck member, fourth deck member and the at least one column member each has an other predetermined fire retardancy which is less than that of the second deck member.
Another embodiment is directed to a pallet assembly having a horizontally-disposed first portion formed of a polymeric material and having a first top surface and a first bottom surface, the first portion having a first predetermined fire retardancy. Also included is a horizontally-disposed second portion formed of a polymeric material and having a second top surface and a second bottom surface, the second portion having a second predetermined fire retardancy. It further includes at least one vertically-disposed portion extending between the first portion and second portion and having an other predetermined fire retardancy less than that of the first and second portions. The first portion is a pallet top deck, the second portion is a pallet bottom deck, and the vertically-disposed portion is a column.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.